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July 11, 2006, Slovenia capital Ljubljana , geniuses gathered.
The 47th International Mathematical Olympiad has kicked off. More than 500 contestants from more than 180 countries and regions will compete in the next two days.
All six members of the Chinese national team won gold medals, and were later recommended to Peking University. Among them, Liu Zhiyu had perfect scores. At that Olympiad, there were only three gold medal winners with perfect scores. The remaining two were Russia's Magazinov Alexander, Moldova Iurie.Boreico.
Professor Li Shenghong, leader of the Chinese national team, said: "Liu Zhiyu really performed well. His solutions and ideas won the highest praise from the International Olympic Committee. He is worthy of being a mathematical wizard and has brought glory to the country."
News spread to China, Hubei The leaders of the No. 1 High School Affiliated to China Normal University were even more ecstatic. It was Liu Zhiyuâs alma mater.
Mathematical Olympiad has been alienated into a strange existence in China.
The Soviets first coined the term "Mathematics Olympiad". In 1956, the Soviet Union and Eastern European countries formally determined the International Mathematical Olympiad plan. In 1959, the first International Mathematical Olympiad was held in Romania. At that time, only the Soviet Union, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, and Romania participated. Since then, the International Mathematical Olympiad has been held every year, with only one interruption in 1980.
In 1978, the International Olympic Organizing Committee sent an invitation letter to China, followed by four more letters, but China did not participate. In December 1985, the Chinese Mathematical Society held a 50th anniversary commemoration meeting in Shanghai to discuss the most critical issue for China's participation in the International Olympiad: how to select contestants. The meeting decided to hold a "Mathematics Winter Camp". The first winter camp of
was held at , Nankai University, in January 1986. Through the selection examination, 21 national training team members were selected from 81 students. The training lasted for more than 2 months, and 6 team members were finally selected to represent China in the International Olympiad. The 6 team members achieved outstanding results of 3 gold medals, 1 silver medal, and 1 bronze medal.
Like the Olympic Games, the Mathematical Olympiad is also regarded as one of the symbols of the country's comprehensive strength and is operated by the national system.
contributes players to the national team and then wins gold and silver medals, which has become the unswerving goal of middle schools everywhere. With the help of the Mathematical Olympiad, some super middle schools have emerged. In 1986 and 1987, Chinese player Lin Qiang participated in the competition for two consecutive years and won bronze and silver medals respectively. Although not a gold medal, he was the first person to win medals twice. His name was written into the history of the Mathematical Olympiad. The Huanggang behind him middle school is rising.
Huanggang is just an underdeveloped area in Hubei Province, but in the following 20 years it has become a benchmark for basic education in China, which is envied and hated by its peers, especially the No. 1 High School Affiliated to China Normal University.
The No.1 High School Affiliated to China Normal University has long claimed to be the No. 1 middle school in Hubei Province. It is located in the provincial capital, has the best teachers, and the campus environment is better than some of the less popular universities in the city.
But such a "proud son of heaven" has been pinned to the ground and rubbed by the "bumpkin" from Huanggang Middle School for 20 years. He must be as aggrieved as he is. Especially for the Mathematical Olympiad, since 1986, the No. 1 High School Affiliated to China Normal University has been struggling for 20 years, but no one can be selected for the International Mathematical Olympiad national team.
until Liu Zhiyu appeared. Everyone who knew him said he was a genius.
When he was a freshman in high school, Liu Zhiyu was selected into the science experimental class of the No. 1 High School Affiliated to China Normal University. This class is very special. Students in other classes all aim for the college entrance examination. They only prepare for the Olympiad and adopt an elimination system. Only students who have won national competition awards in at least three subjects in junior high school are eligible to participate in the selection examination, from which 60 people are selected. , each person determines the main competition discipline, and then groups into groups, learns to arrange personal coaches, and conducts intensive training.
In short, they are a group of "monsters" who exist for the Olympiad. Ryu Ji-woo chose mathematics.
On April 1, 2006, Professor Wang Jie, Chairman of the Chinese Olympic Committee, announced the six-man roster of the Chinese national team. Liu Zhiyu was selected, and the No. 1 High School Affiliated to China Normal University was excited.
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As the three gold medal winners with perfect scores, Liu Jiyu, Magazinov Alexander, and Iurie.Boreico, were individually awarded at the closing ceremony of the 47th International Mathematics Olympiad.
There is a person sitting in the audience who must be unconvinced. He is the German player Schulz.
He was born in Dresden, an important scientific research center in Germany, and he was very talented in mathematics since he was a child. But this seems to be nothing in Germany. After all, this country has given birth to super mathematical geniuses such as Gauss, Leibniz, Hilbert, and Riemann.
is small, big is not necessarily better. Whether it's a mule or a horse, it has to be pulled out for a ride.
In 2004, Schulz, who was not yet 17 years old, was selected into the German International Mathematical Olympiad national team and participated in the International Mathematical Olympiad for the first time. He failed to complete the questions and won a silver medal.
In the same session, all six members of the Chinese team won gold medals, including Yang Shiwu from Huanggang Middle School, but that was also the final glory of Huanggang Middle School's Mathematical Olympiad. The High School Affiliated to South China Normal University in Guangdong won two gold medals. One can imagine how disappointed the people at the First Affiliated Center of China Normal University in Hubei were.
Also missing is Schultz, who grew up with the aura of genius and has never missed a gold medal in all competitions. He despised himself, this was such a huge blow.
The young man was so angry that he participated in the 2005 International Mathematical Olympiad. As a result, he avenged his shame and won the gold medal with perfect scores. He refused to give up and decided to continue competing. The reason is that he finds it fun.
People with incredible IQs are so arrogant and treat the Mathematical Olympiad as a game. In this way, Schultz and Ryu Ji-woo met at the 2006 International Mathematical Olympiad. They all got gold medals, but Schultz failed to get full marks and was slightly inferior. Although it is just for fun, young people still have turmoil in their hearts.
returned with great honors, and Liu Zhiyu was recommended to Peking University. Schultz decided to play again and participated in the 2007 International Mathematical Olympiad. He won another gold medal, but failed to get full marks, which was just a small regret. After all, he had participated for four consecutive years and won one silver and three gold medals. His record is enough to shock ancient and modern times.
60 Over the past 360 years, there have been many Mathematical Olympiad gold medalists, but very few people have finally reached the top in the kingdom of mathematics. Most of them are like meteors streaking across the night sky.
and it is recognized that the quality of the Mathematical Olympiad gold medal winner can be tested by Fields Medal .
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The Fields Medal is as important as the Nobel Prize.
Nobel Prizes are not awarded to mathematicians. According to unofficial history, Nobel and mathematician Mittag Loeffler failed to compete for the same girl. In order to prevent Loeffler from winning the award he established, he deliberately excluded mathematics from the Nobel Prize. As a good friend of Loeffler, Fields couldn't stand it anymore, so he established the "Fields Medal" to fight injustices for mathematicians. Of course this is not the case with
.
About 150 years ago, Fields was born in Ottawa, Canada, and later obtained a doctorate from Hopkins University in the United States. He himself is not a first-class mathematician, but a first-class mathematics educator.
At that time, the center of mathematics was Europe, and mathematics research in North America was very low. Fields vigorously promoted international mathematical exchange.
At the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, various disciplines were developing rapidly, and various theories were emerging. The same was true for mathematics. Set theory was used as the basis for unifying mathematics, but paradoxes were soon discovered, resulting in a serious mathematical crisis.
At that time, communications were underdeveloped, so it was better to communicate face to face when it came to mathematics crises. In 1897, the first International Congress of Mathematicians was held in Switzerland. The purpose of this conference is to alleviate conflicts in international mathematics.
However, subsequent International Congresses of Mathematicians were disrupted by off-site factors. After World War I, French and Belgian mathematicians took the initiative in the conference and insisted on excluding Germany and other Allied countries. Germany is a strong country in mathematics, and such an international conference of mathematicians is certainly incomplete.
In 1924, Fields finally managed to secure an international conference of mathematicians in Toronto, but mathematicians from the defeated countries still did not attend. It's really torn apart.
Fields, who was exhausted both mentally and physically, wanted to launch an international prize to promote the exchange of mathematicians and the development of mathematics in the form of prizes. He traveled to European and American countries for this purpose, and planned to launch an initiative at the Ninth International Congress of Mathematicians in Zurich in 1932, but he died before the conference was held.
In his will, Fields clearly stipulated that the award cannot be named after an individual, especially not after him, but in the name of the "International Prize." But in the end, the award was named the Fields Medal.
In 1936, the first Fields Medal was awarded.
Today, the Fields Medal has become the highest honor pursued by mathematicians. However, there is a strict condition that it is only awarded to young mathematicians under the age of 40.
Mathematics circles in various countries have high hopes for the Mathematical Olympiad gold medalists, hoping that they can continue their efforts and challenge for the Fields Medal.
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After trying his best in the Mathematical Olympiad, Schulz entered the Department of Mathematics at the University of Bonn. The University of Bonn is a world-class public university. Although it is not the best university in Germany, its mathematics department ranks first in Germany.
Schultz felt like a fish in water here. He completed all undergraduate courses in three semesters and was allowed to graduate early. Later, he spent two semesters studying for graduate school. When applying for early graduation, he submitted his thesis to his tutor, Michel Rapoport, a famous German mathematician.
After Rapoport read the paper, he was shocked and called Schultz over. He looked very unhappy and the atmosphere was solemn. Schultz's little heart was pounding.
Rapoport said seriously: Apply for a master's degree? You are so funny.
Schultzâs heart: Damn, do you understand?
Rapoport: You donât need to study for a Ph.D., you can graduate with a Ph.D. now.
Schultzâs heart: Damn, Iâm scared to death. Of course
Rapoport understands it. In this paper, Schultz created a new mathematical framework-perfectoid spaces theory, which more perfectly presents a series of basic theories created by Faltings, and others. .
Who is Faltings?
German mathematician, a genius who used algebraic geometry to prove the Model's conjecture in number theory . Zhang Shouwu is an awesome figure among Chinese mathematicians second only to Yau Shing-tung (the only Chinese winner of the Fields Medal), but in front of Faltings, he knelt down.
In addition, Schulz also gave a conjecture by the mathematician Pierre Deligne in the paper - a special solution to the Weight-monodromy conjecture, which is known as the future of algebraic geometry. One of the most promising framework systems in decades.
Just like that, the confused Schulz graduated with a doctorate. Subsequently, he traveled to several internationally renowned mathematics centers.
In 2011, the 24-year-old Schultz became a graduate student at the Clay Mathematical Institute. This is a great honor for young mathematicians, and they can choose to conduct free research anywhere in the world.
Schultz began publishing papers in top international academic magazines. The two most representative articles were published in "Inventiones mathematicae", which and "Annals of Mathematics" are the two top journals in the mathematics world.
After returning from his study tour, the University of Bonn waived the professor qualification examination and directly appointed Schulz as a W3 professor - the highest level professor in Germany.
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While Schultz was cheating in college, his Olympiad rival Ryu Ji-woo's interest had turned to Buddhism.
Liu Zhiyu has been participating in competitions since he was a child. He has witnessed too many outstanding students being crushed into mud, and he regards the ups and downs of life as unbearable hardships. His dream is to join or even create an environment where he can "explore the true meaning of life together in a free and warm atmosphere" with a group of people.
In the winter of his freshman year, Liu Zhiyu joined two clubs at Peking Universityâthe Zen Study Club and the Farming Reading Club.
Liu Zhiyu is the only backbone and spiritual leader of the club, and often organizes charity activities such as outings and serving porridge. In May 2008, Ryu Ji-woo took the club for the first time to visit Longquan Temple - the place where he chose to become a monk two years and four months later.
Liu Zhiyu met Master Xianqing, Deng Wenqing, the founder of Gengdu Society in the temple. Master Xianqing talked about his own experience of becoming a monk. It is unknown how much reference value this has for Liu Zhiyu.
Later, many people regarded Ryu Ji-woo's joining the club as the beginning of Buddhism, but in fact they ignored some clues.
That year, after he won the gold medal and received countless honors, he wrote a diary, including two paragraphs:
This time I went to Slovenia to participate in the 47th International Mathematical Olympiad. I felt very relaxed.Departing from Beijing on July 10, 2006, when I boarded the plane, I suddenly felt that there was no ceremony that could make me worried or scared. It was just a trip and a set of questions. It was already evening when we arrived in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. A big, round moon hung low on the roof of the airport. The air was filled with the refreshing fragrance of earth. The roads were winding and full of pastoral atmosphere. It wasn't completely dark until half past nine. On the evening of the 11th, I was walking in the small town, and the sunset was extremely bright. For a moment, I suddenly didnât know who âIâ was. I just felt that everything in the world was just right, and any words seemed redundant and pale.
The exam started on the 12th. It rained heavily early in the morning. When I walked out of the dormitory, I saw a rainbow shining in front of the hill not far away. The exam was in the basketball court of a gymnasium, and I was on the first floor. The questions on the first day are relatively simple. The next day I got up very early, brought breakfast outside and invited the green mountains and white clouds to eat with me. I was disgusted with some small black insects at first, but then I thought, they are the host and I am the guest. How can a guest be disrespectful to the host, so I specially I prepared a small plate for them and sprinkled some on the ground for the insects and birds to eat. The questions were very difficult. After two hours, I still had no ideas for questions 5 and 6. This further stimulated my fighting spirit. I used the coping methods I had learned over the past year and listed the existing ideas one by one. I found that Think spark and get going. With one hour left, I had ideas for both questions. In the next three days, we traveled in Slovenia and met many friends from different countries. At first, I was still worried about the results of the exam. Later, I thought that I had performed perfectly in the exam room this time, and I had already enjoyed success at that time. After the joy, why should we care about success or failure?
The article has revealed the taste of seeing through the world of mortals. Unfortunately, this diary was regarded by the No. 1 High School of China Normal University as a confession of an outstanding student who has won glory for the country and the school.
In our culture, collective honor has always been more important than personal life experience.
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24-year-old Schulz set a record as the youngest professor in Germany. Ryu Ji-woo has become Master Xian-woo. After
was hired as a professor by his alma mater, Schulz said: "I am very happy to work at the University of Bonn. I have been looking forward to this day since I was a student."
The mathematical genius became a monk, which inspired a wide range of society There was an endless stream of media and visitors. In order to prevent excessive interference from the outside world, Liu Zhiyu did not see outsiders at all.
Schultz got the award softly. He was awarded the Prix and Cours Peccot in 2012; the SASTRA Ramanujan Prize in 2013; and the Clay Research Award in 2014.
In 2015, he used his pioneering theory of perfectoid spaces to solve the special case of the Weight-monodromy conjecture, and won the Cole Prize in Algebra awarded by the American Mathematical Society, the highest award in the number theory community.
In 2016, he won a record-breaking Leibniz Prize, Germanyâs highest academic award. He is the only one under the age of 30 among the 348 winners so far.
Faltings said: Schulz is one of the three best mathematicians I have ever seen in my life.
Grothendieck : " Fundamentals of Algebraic Geometry " written by Schulz is known as the "Bible of Algebraic Geometry".
The only thing left in front of him is the highest award in mathematics - the Fields Medal. He was originally going to win the award at the 2014 International Congress of Mathematicians, but it was not awarded to him. The reason is very simple. He is not yet 30 years old. Give the opportunity to the seniors first, after all, 40 is the threshold.
The thousand-year-old apricots in Long/Quan/Temple have yellow leaves and fallen leaves. Another four years have passed. Ryu Ji-woo's enthusiasm has finally subsided, but his personal situation is still kept secret by the temple and he has disappeared without a trace.
On August 1, 2018, the International Congress of Mathematicians was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Fields Medal winners were announced, and Schultz was among them.
At almost the same moment, in the northern hemisphere, the temple where Liu Jiyu practiced was flooded by Chinese netizens, and something happened to the abbot. When is
? Life?
References:
1. "The Escape of Genius", Jiang Fangzhou
2. "The most exciting story about the Fields Medal, if you know one, you are the best", Super Mathematical Modeling
This article is reproduced from the WeChat public account "Mengdehao", author Brother Meng. The article is the independent opinion of the author and does not represent the position of Mustard Heap.
